Wandering Eyes

Magic Millions 2YO Classic contender Arabian Summer. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Trainer Calvin McEvoy expressed optimism about Arabian Summer’s chances in Saturday’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic, emphasising the perceived advantages of the middle draw in barrier nine. McEvoy, who trains in partnership with his father Tony, acknowledged the initial preference for a draw between one to five but found contentment in the outcome. “I’m happy with it, we wanted to draw probably one to five I think as it played out, the favourite’s drawn one outside us in ten. “She’s very versatile, she’ll be positive and she’ll hopefully be in the first four or five with some cover, and I think it’s a really good barrier,” McEvoy remarked. Arabian Summer, known for her speed, triumphed in the Ballarat Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1000m) in December and demonstrated adaptability by handling the rise in distance during her Gold Pearl victory last week. McEvoy and connections remain confident that the daughter of Too Darn Hot can tackle the additional 100 metres on Saturday. “Early on in her career we probably had her pegged as just a speed, 1000-metre filly but her last two starts she’s shown that she’s versatile, she’ll run out a strong, definitely 1100 and I think with a nice run she’ll certainly run the 12 out so I’m very happy with her,” McEvoy affirmed. Arabian Summer will be partnered by Harry Coffey in the feature event on the 11-race card at the Gold Coast and is currently rated a +600 with top horse racing betting sites. More horse racing news View the full article

Follow Your Dreams (inside) winning the Reefton Cup (1400m) on Tuesday. Photo: Race Images South Follow Your Dreams has been absent from the winner’s circle for the last 12 months, but he broke that drought, almost to the day, when victorious in the Reefton Cup (1400m) on Tuesday. The son of Contributer settled to the rear of the pack for jockey Corey Campbell in the West Coast of New Zealand feature as Diamond Girl set her customary blistering pace up front, opening up several margins on the main pack. Campbell pushed his charge forward at the 900m mark to sit parked in the main bunch as they continued to hunt down the pacemaker. They caught the leader with 150m to go and Follow Your Dreams entered a dogfight with Tap ‘n’ Go down the straight, eventually getting the better of his foe to win by a long neck, while stablemate The Buffer ran home well to finish a further 2-1/4 lengths back in third in the hands of stable apprentice Danika Wilson. “Both of the horses went well,” said Krystal Williams, who trains in partnership with her father Ken Rae. “Follow Your Dreams was more forward than the other one and it was nice to see him get a win again because he has been out of the winner’s circle for quite a while. “I thought over the last few runs Follow Your Dreams has been really close to picking up that win. The horse he is this time in is a lot better than he was over the winter, we have just been waiting for it to happen.” Williams was a little disappointed in The Buffer’s result, but was proud of her charge nonetheless. “His run wasn’t as good as it could have been. He came a bit wide on the home bend, but he has battled on for third like he always does, he is a tough little warhorse,” she said. Follow Your Dreams is now on a path towards the $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) at Riccarton on April 13. “We brought Follow Your Dreams down to the South Island stable for that mile race later in the year for South Island horses only,” Williams said. “That is something we are going to work towards, but whether or not we get him there I don’t know.” The stable also picked up two further placings on the undercard courtesy of Berbizier and The Roaring Tiger. “Berbizier and The Roaring Tiger both went well today. They were quite fast-run races so it was hope for the best and see what we could do,” Williams said. Williams has enjoyed the West Coast hospitality and said she looks forward to heading to the holiday carnival every year. “This is about my 11th year now (coming to the West Coast),” she said. “We have made some very good friends with the locals and we catch-up with them every time we come back. We have made new owners from each time we have come over. We always have a great time and the kids all really enjoy it.” More horse racing news View the full article

What 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic Where Gold Coast Turf Club – Racecourse Dr, Bundall QLD 4217 When Saturday, January 13, 2024 Prizemoney $3,000,000 Distance 1200m Conditions Restricted Listed 2023 winner Skirt The Law (2) | T: Tony Gollan | J: Ryan Maloney (55kg) Visit Dabble The 38th edition of the Magic Million 2YO Classic will co-headline the massive 11-race card at the Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon. With rain forecast to fall in the Gold Coast area every day in the lead up to Magic Millions Day, many are curious to see what condition the track will be in on Saturday. After Skirt The Law claimed the 2023 edition of the race, she became the sixth filly in the last seven years to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. A full field of 16 runners is set to compete over 1200m, with only four maidens set to take their place in the $3 million race. 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic odds The top two runners in racebook order also sit at the top of the market for the 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic, with Storm Boy from the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott stable marked as the +140 favourite, ahead of the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Spywire (+400). On the third line of betting is Highness (+550) from the Michael Freedman yard, closely followed by the Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained Arabian Summer (+600). 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic speed map Much like most two-year-old races, there is an abundance of speed in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Storm Boy, Spywire and Arabian Summer will push forward from outside barriers, while Highness and Wolfgang are expected to make them work for the lead as they jump from inside gates. Any number of runners could settle midfield and towards the back of the field, but Parkour, Territory Ash and Poster Girl are the horses that are most likely to be swooping down the outside from the back. Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Magic Millions 2YO Classic 2024 preview & form Arabian Summer has won her last two starts at Ballarat and the Gold Coast, which saw her climb to the top of the prize money-earning list for the 2YO Classic. The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained filly was a dominant winner in her two victories, with her last start performance being the best of her career to date. This daughter of Too Darn Hot raced in the Gold Pearl 2YO Fillies over 1100m, and even though she had to give her rivals 2kg, this girl booted away from the field with 250m to go and went on to win by 2.3 lengths. From barrier nine, Harry Coffey will be able to follow the race favourite across the field and settle in behind the speed. If Arabian Summer doesn’t get posted wide and settles in the first six, she will get every chance to continue the filly dominance in this race. The race favourite and number one saddlecloth, Storm Boy, is one of the two undefeated runners in this year’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained colt has been dominant at both starts to date, with his last start 2.4-length victory in the Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes cementing his spot at the top of the market in this contest. This son of Justify will push forward from barrier 10 to settle on-speed, where he should find the front with company and ensure the race is run at a solid tempo. If the track is very wet and Storm Boy has to do a lot of work to find the front, it could make him vulnerable in the final 200m. James Cummings will only have one runner in the 2YO Classic, as Parkour will take his place in the $3 million feature. This two-year-old colt was an eye-catching runner on debut when flying home from the back of the field to finish second behind Arabian Summer at Ballarat, before dominating a small field at Randwick last start. This son of Extreme Choice has drawn very wide in barrier 17, which leaves Jamie Kah with only one option, get back and run on. Parkour appears to have the ability to run over the top of her rivals if the race is run at a strong tempo, but he may get too far back from the horrible gate. If Spywire were to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, it would give his trainers Ciaron Maher & David Eustace their third win in the race in the last five years. Although this colt hasn’t finished outside the top two in his three starts, drawing barrier 12 has hindered his chances slightly because he is expected to be a key speed influence in this race. If this son of Trapeze Artist is slow away, like last start, James McDonald will have to be at his very best to get him into a forward position without using too much gas in the early stages of the race. Magic Millions 2YO Classic 2024 selections & best bets Selections: 8 ARABIAN SUMMER 1 STORM BOY 3 PARKOUR 2 SPYWIRE $100 betting strategy $100 Win Arabian Summer (#8) @ +600 with Neds More horse racing tips View the full article

Happy Together continues to advance this season. Alexis Badel is hoping to time it right aboard the rapidly rising Happy Together in Wednesday night’s Group 3 January Cup Handicap (1800m). Amid a sparkling season with three wins from four starts, Happy Together continues to up the ante, enough so to warrant his shot at Happy Valley’s sole Group race with Badel confident he has found the key to unlocking even more success for the five-year-old. “I learnt from my mistake two starts ago at Sha Tin. You need to preserve his turn of foot and you have to be a bit more patient – I didn’t make the same mistake twice and it was a good win last start,” Badel said. “He’s doing very well and he keeps improving.” Trained by Frankie Lor, Happy Together will carry 115lb tomorrow. He most recently won a quality Class 2 at Happy Valley last month – his only race at the city circuit. “To his credit, he has a good turn of foot. He can quicken well and he trialled well at Happy Valley when he was younger, so I was confident he was going to run a good race last time, as long as he could relax for me,” Badel said. Check out HorseBetting’s Happy Valley preview here. Happy Together tackles the Valley’s 1800m trip for the first time in the January Cup, while five-year-old’s boast a strong record with 13 wins in the race since it was first staged in 1999, including five out of the last six renewals. “I’d prefer a good tempo – it’s easier for me. There’s no doubt he’s a nice horse and he’s in good form carrying no weight,” Badel said. Happy Together meets Encountered (135lb), Money Catcher (134lb), Sword Point (126lb), Telecom Fighters (124lb), Tourbillon Diamond (118lb), Champion Dragon (117lb), Helene Feeling (115lb), Nimble Nimbus (115lb), Rising From Ashes (115lb), La City Blanche (115lb) and Berlin Tango (115lb) in the January Cup. Lor and Badel combined to win the 2019 running with Simply Brilliant, who carried 114lb. Happy Together is one of three runners in the race for Lor, who also saddles Money Catcher and Sword Point. “He’s good but this time he’ll carry 134 pounds,” Lor said of Money Catcher, who won the 2023 January Cup. Sword Point was Group 2-placed two runs ago and pairs with Hugh Bowman this week. “He’s good, I put Hugh Bowman on for last week’s gallop – he was happy,” Lor said. La City Blanche contests his second Group 3 in Hong Kong in the January Cup. He finished third in November’s HK$4.2 million Group 3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Handicap (1800m). Karis Teetan will partner the bay – who has won once over 1800m at Happy Valley – from barrier one for Tony Cruz. “He goes in with a light weight and he’s won at Happy Valley before. Last start he ran into some really big horses. I think going into the race with a light weight that he has a chance – he’s run well at the Valley before,” Teetan said. “If he gets the right run this week, then he’ll get his chance.” Badel rides another swift improver at the city circuit. The Frenchman gets the leg-up on Healthy Healthy for trainer Pierre Ng. “He had a light weight last time but he’s the type of horse who is big enough to carry the weight, it isn’t a bother. He looks well and he’s recovered from his last run,” Ng said. More horse racing news View the full article

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY – During a session dominated for much of the day by the short yearlings, the supplemented broodmare Sebago Lake (Tapit) jumped to the lead in the final hips when selling for $700,000 to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Overall, through two days of the four-day auction, 430 head have grossed $31,596,700 for an average of $73,481 and a median of $30,500. With continued strength at the top of the market, the Book 1 average dipped just 3.39% from a year ago, but the median is down 23.75%. “It started off very healthy,” Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said of Tuesday's session. “Through the day, there were some spots where it got a little slower, but it ended up really strong. Again, quality was to the fore. You saw some of those young mares, bred to some exciting new stallions were selling extremely well. Farms are reloading again. We saw the same pattern that we saw yesterday.” The two-day buy-back rate is 27.97%. It was 26.92% a year ago. Three short yearlings sold for $400,000 or over during Tuesday's session, with a colt by Not This Time and a filly by Candy Ride (Arg) sharing the day's top price of $430,000. “Foals that were by the right stallions, had the right physicals, vetted, there was a very strong, competitive environment for them,” Lacy said. “There is a lot of confidence out there. Speaking to the sellers, they felt like it was a really good market. The buyers found it to be very competitive to try to buy the stock they were interested in. I don't think it's inflated at all, I don't think it's depressed in any way. I think it feels like a very healthy, fair environment. If you bring the right stock to market, you are going to get rewarded for it. Today was just a continuation of the momentum we saw yesterday.” With 424 head catalogued for Tuesday's session, only 275 went through the ring. “It's sort of a factor of the time of year we are in,” Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said of the large number of outs. “It's a time of year when weanlings-into-yearlings are changing a lot. They don't always vet the way people intend them to vet and they are happy to wait until September in some cases. We did have more outs than we were expecting. They kind of came in early, though, so going into yesterday, we already had a lot of outs, and more than we would have had last year, and we had a couple dozen more during the session.” With close to 130 outs coming Monday evening, and not during Tuesday's session, Lacy said the scratches might not reflect a lack of interest from would-be buyers. “A lot of people don't have to sell,” Lacy said. “If they have something they think is in sort of an awkward stage or if they are sitting on an update, if there is something active in the family potentially, they hit pause. That's the time of year we are in. People weren't scratching, necessarily, for lack of action. They were scratching a little earlier for various reasons. It didn't feel in any way that there was concern from sellers.” “We ended very, very strongly here this evening. Young mares coming off the track or in foal to some exciting young stallions were very much in demand.” @ScottFDTV discusses the results of day two at @keenelandsales January with Tony Lacy and Cormac Breathnach. pic.twitter.com/X6pR53JRdu — TVG (@TVG) January 9, 2024 Breathnach admitted the decrease in median during the January sale's two-session Book 1 could be a reflection of the polarization of the market. “The average is fairly close [to the 2023 figure],” Breathnach said. “The median is down 20+% and that's what we watch. That maybe reflects some of the polarization in the market. The top of it is doing well, keeping the average up, but there is some selectivity in the middle to lower levels. It might reflect what brings a premium and what is tougher to sell.” The Keeneland January sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. Sebago Lake a Late Highlight at Keeneland Sebago Lake (Tapit) (hip 831), in foal to Justify, sparked a bidding battle late in Tuesday's second session of the Keeneland January sale when selling for $700,000 to the phone bid of Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Hip 831 in the ring | Keeneland The 5-year-old mare, a half-sister to graded winner Family Way (Uncle Mo) and from the family of Caravaggio, was well beaten in a pair of racetrack appearances in September of 2021 for her co-breeder, Adam Bowden's Diamond Creek Farm. Eaton Sales consigned the gray mare to the sale on behalf of Diamond Creek. “She was probably one of the best mares in the sale, in my opinion,” said Eaton's Reiley McDonald. “She's a beautiful mare in foal to the right horse. She's by Tapit and looks like a Tapit. And I also think it helped that there is limited supply at the upper level.” Sebago Lake, whose first foal is now a short yearling colt by Uncle Mo, was a supplemental entry to the auction. “I think it was a late decision just to put her in,” McDonald said. “She was the real thing and that's why she sold well. They didn't pay too much and everybody came out of it with a win.” @JessMartiniTDN Pugh Strikes for Not This Time Colt Peter Pugh went to $430,000 to acquire a short yearling by Not This Time (hip 685) from the Warrendale Sales consignment Tuesday at Keeneland. “All of the top people were on the horse coming up here,” said Warrendale's Hunter Simms. “He was very well received. We are honored to sell a horse like that and wish the connections the best of luck.” Simms continued, “The horse was very straightforward. Good bone on him, very correct, walked well. He was a very nice horse.” Bred by Petaluma Bloodstock, the bay colt is out of Dalsaros (Unbridled's Song), a daughter of Grade I winner Ask the Moon (Malibu Moon). Bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe signed the ticket at $325,000 to acquire Dalsaros, in foal to City of Light, at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. The in utero City of Light colt went on to sell for $300,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The mare's Tiz the Law filly sold for $300,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. Of the colt's placement in the January sale, Simms explained, “There were a lot of foals in November and we figured he would stand out here. He is probably the second-highest priced foal that is going to sell at this sale, so we always try to concentrate on placement with horses and finding the right sale and finding the right book to put them in. Whether it's November, January, February, wherever, we try to find the right spot where they will stand out.” Peter Pugh | Keeneland After initial confusion about who had actually purchased the colt, who had already been led out of the ring, bidding was opened again and ended at $430,000 with Pugh, signing under the Cherry Knoll Farm banner, as the winning bidder. “It's always confusing,” Simms said. “There are a lot of people in every doorway and every nook and cranny and trying to be secretive. And it happens. They opened it back up and we were able to get $430,000, which is a nice price for that horse. It all worked out in the end.” @JessMartiniTDN Candy Ride Filly to Stewart John Stewart, active at the top level at the auctions last fall, got back into action at Keeneland Tuesday, purchasing a short yearling by Candy Ride (Arg) (hip 497) for $430,000 under his operation's new name, Resolute Bloodstock. The filly was consigned by Stone Farm. “She was absolutely stunning,” said Stewart's advisor Gavin O'Connor. “She had great size. She just ticked all the boxes for a Candy Ride, especially being a May foal. She was balanced with great conformation and she was squeaky clean. Just a high quality, classy filly. We will probably keep her and play the long game with her. She screams race horse. She is just a fabulous filly.” The chestnut filly is out of Rags Pauline (Union Rags), a half-sister to graded winner Keen Pauline (Pulpit). “She came up here and showed great,” said Stone Farm's Lynn Hancock. “She didn't turn a hair and was very popular. She has a great walk and moved well and showed well. I think she got all the right people on her.” Rags Pauline, with the filly in utero, sold for $80,000 to Jack Hirsch at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton December Digital sale. The yearling was bred by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Spearmaco. “A client of ours bought her,” Hancock said of Rags Pauline. “I haven't spoken to them yet, but I assume they are happy. It's hard not to be happy with that result.” Lynn Hancock | Keeneland The 8-year-old broodmare was bred back to Army Mule last year. Through two sessions of the four-day auction, Resolute Bloodstock has purchased seven horses for $905,000. In addition to hip 497, the operation acquired stakes-placed 4-year-old filly Smokie Eyes (Nyquist) (hip 134) for $140,000 and Indian Mound (Medaglia d'Oro) (hip 768) for $250,000. O'Connor said the move of horses into Stewart's new farm in Midway was well under way. “So far, so good,” he said. “We are over there now. Some of the big girls are over there–[newly acquired broodmares] Puca, Pizza Bianca, and Lenni Girl–and we have a few more coming there this week. We have eight babies over there as well. So we are slowly transitioning the stock from where they are at the moment and getting established.” @JessMartiniTDN O'Callaghan Goes to $400,000 for Justify Colt A strong opening bid of $275,000 from the back wasn't enough to scare off P B Bloodstock and Jenny O'Callaghan, who went to $400,000 to purchase Hip 594, the only yearling son of Justify in the sale. “He's a beautiful horse from the first time we saw him at the barn,” said O'Callaghan. “We knew we had to have him–he was our star horse for the day.” Hip 594 | Keeneland The colt, bred in Kentucky by Justice Stables, is a half to GSP Conquest Babayaga (Uncle Mo) and to SP Sorrentina Lemon (Lemon Drop Kid) and out of a half-sister to Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Neligee (Northern Afleet). “He's by Justify who is an exceptional stallion on turf, dirt, with colts and fillies. We're hoping there will be a big market for him next year. That's the most expensive horse that we bought but we have full confidence in the stallion and he's just a natural horse that possesses so much natural athletic ability. We'll bring him back [to Keeneland] again as a yearling next year.” @SGrimmTDN Music Street Brings $210,000 Off Falls City Second Music Street (Street Sense) (hip 449) brought a final bid of $210,000 from Blanco Bloodstock early in the session Tuesday at the Keeneland January Horses of all Ages Sale, capping a racing career for Kim Valerio who initially bought the mare as a yearling at Keeneland in 2020. Campaigned for Valerio along with partners Prakash Sham Masand and Grandview Equine, Music Street finished her career with a second to Xigera (Nyquist) in the GIII Falls City S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 23. “I love Street Sense and I love [second dam] Xtra Heat,” said Valerio on buying the filly as a yearling. “And she's so pretty. She's such a sweetheart. It's bittersweet really, I didn't want to sell her but I had partners and she's turning five. But I just love her and I'm super happy with where she's going. They take great care of their mares.” After earning over $295,000 on the track, Music Street sold as a broodmare prospect only to Blanco Bloodstock Tuesday. @SGrimmTDN The post $700,000 Sebago Lake Charges Keeneland January Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

We're inside the 120-day mark for the 150th GI Kentucky Derby, and the pecking order is hazily taking shape. There's a speculative, forward-thinking element (read: lots of guesswork) built into the equation, with the goal of projecting how these still-developing horses will blossom over the next four months. Get tied on and enjoy the ride. 1) NYSOS (c, Nyquist–Zetta Z, by Bernardini) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Baoma Corp; B-Susie Atkins (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $130,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $550,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 2-2-0-0, $96,600. Last start: WON Nov. 19 GIII Bob Hope S. Nysos has won two West Coast sprints with devastating ease by a combined 19 1/4 lengths while pairing Beyer Speed Figures of 96 and 97, earning 'TDN Rising Star' accolades, and giving off the impression he has the mental makeup and physical prowess to handle tougher competition at longer distances. This Nyquist colt out of a Bernardini mare went through the auction ring three times ($130,000 KEENOV, $150,000 FTKOCT, $550,000 OBSAPR) before debuting over six furlongs Oct. 21 at Santa Anita. Seeing a Bob Baffert trainee win at first asking by 10 1/2 lengths isn't exactly a shocker, but not too many colts from that barn run up the score by such a gaudy margin while going off at 6-1 in the betting. Start number two was the seven-eighths GIII Bob Hope S. at Del Mar Nov. 19, and that four-horse race ended up being more or less a schooling session for 2-5 fave Nysos, who, racing with blinkers off, broke alertly and settled in last while always in touch with the leaders behind brisk splits. His sustained move enabled him to power past overmatched rivals while well in hand and never being asked for maximum effort, scoring by 8 3/4 lengths. Nysos has since recorded four regularly spaced workouts at Santa Anita and seems certain to next surface in a two-turn stakes, perhaps the Jan. 27 GIII Southwest S. over 1 1/16 miles or the Feb. 3 GIII Lewis S. at a mile. For the third straight year, Churchill Downs has banished Baffert related to Medina Spirit's drug DQ from the 2021 Derby, and his trainees are prohibited from earning qualifying points. However, the focus for TDN's Top 12 writeups will be on where Baffert's horses fit in the overall Derby picture and not the trainer's eligibility status. 2) FIERCENESS (c, City of Light–Nonna Bella, by Stay Thirsty) 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Repole Stable (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $1,102,750. Last start: WON Nov. 4 GI FanDuel Breeders Cup Juvenile. A two-prep path to Louisville–the Feb. 3 GIII Holy Bull S. and Mar. 30 GI Florida Derby–is trainer Todd Pletcher's plan for GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile victor and likely 2-year-old champ Fierceness. This 'TDN Rising Star' and Repole Stable homebred by City of Light powered home by 11 1/4 lengths (95 Beyer) as the 11-10 winner of his debut sprint at Saratoga over a sealed, muddy track. That wet-track fondness didn't carry over to the sloppy GI Champagne S. at Aqueduct, when the odds-on Fierceness lunged and got bumped at the break, loomed boldly with a four-wide move, then splashed home punchless in the stretch. Off that seventh-place drubbing, the betting public abandoned Fierceness at 16-1 in the Breeders' Cup. He responded by trouncing the Juvenile field by 6 1/4 lengths en route to a 105 Beyer victory. This colt checked a lot of boxes that day by showing speed in hand from the gate, a willingness to latch onto a pacemaker, good responsiveness to cues to quicken, and an ability to ratchet into a higher gear without appearing fully torqued before galloping out well ahead of everyone else. Fierceness only had to repel one single bid in upper stretch before cruising home in the Juvenile, a race in which the top three betting choices all failed to fire without obvious excuse. The fizzling of the faves might have indicated that the race wasn't that deep. But now, two months in the rear-view mirror, the Juvenile looks like it could be shaping into a key race, with its strength on paper solidifying after two of the four horses to run back won stakes in their next-out starts. Fierceness | Benoit The biggest hurdle for Fierceness might end up being historical: Since the advent of the Breeders' Cup in 1984, Juvenile winners have accounted for only two Kentucky Derby wins from 39 runnings (Street Sense in 2007 and Nyquist in 2016). Even some of the most electrifying 2-year-olds who excelled over 1 1/16 miles on the first Saturday of November have had trouble outrunning that daunting metric going 10 furlongs on the first Saturday in May. 3) MUTH (c, Good Magic–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0, $716,600. Last start: WON Jan. 6 GII San Vicente S. Muth (Good Magic) was named a 'TDN Rising Star' June 18 when he uncorked an 8 3/4-length debut win. With four total races at age two that included two routes and a Grade I win in the American Pharoah S., trainer Bob Baffert opted to sharpen this colt's speed by picking the Jan. 6 GIII San Vicente S. at seven furlongs for Muth's first start at three. This $190,000 KEESEP and $2 million OBSMAR colt earned a no-nonsense win by assertively stalking two pacemakers and breaking away at will to earn a 91 Beyer in the San Vicente, meaning Muth has now run at least a 90 Beyer in all five lifetime races. “This horse has a lot of class. He's learning a lot,” said jockey Juan Hernandez, who has been aboard Muth for all three wins and two seconds. “I think he finally learned to run by himself because he broke really quick, and he saw the other two horses in front of me and he just relaxed really well behind them.” Muth ran second behind Fierceness in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita. He enjoyed a primo stalking trip over his home track, and seemed poised to take off in tandem with that rival on the far turn. But by the quarter pole Muth was already being driven hard, and he had no response to match Fierceness's full-flight winning move. Fierceness holds the head-to-head edge. But Muth owns the broader body of work, and I wouldn't bet against him the next time he hooks up with Fierceness. Given that these two colts are based on opposite coasts, that rematch is unlikely to happen until the Kentucky Derby itself. 4) BORN NOBLE (c, Constitution–Zapperkat, by Ghostzapper) 'TDN Rising Star' O-St Elias Stable & West Point Thoroughbreds; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $725,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $36,000. Last start: WON Dec. 30 Gulfstream MdSpWt. Bet to 13-10 favoritism first time out going seven furlongs at Gulfstream, Born Noble (Constitution) immediately put himself into the race, pressing the pacemaking second-fave from the outside. Irad Ortiz Jr. nudged this $725,000 KEESEP colt forward, got on even terms with the leader through the turn, and by the quarter pole forced his foe into submission while still being hand-ridden. But once alone on the lead and set down for the drive, Born Noble came unglued, veering sharply inward despite left-handed stick work and a right-handed yank of the reins. He remained on his left lead until just prior to the sixteenth pole, but Ortiz's rousing did spark a noticeable uptick in acceleration through mid-stretch before Born Noble got geared down while 5 1/2 lengths clear under the wire. The post-race focus might be on this firster's obvious greenness. But a glimmer of gravitas also shone through, and in the long view, Born Noble's zig-zagging antics didn't resonate as anything that can't be smoothed out with experience. He earned 'TDN Rising Star' status and a 93 Beyer–although precise figure-making can get tricky on a day like Dec. 30, when a “good” Gulfstream surface was drying out to “fast” and there were only three total dirt races (all at different distances) for comparison on the card. 5) SIERRA LEONE (c, Gun Runner–Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Mrs John Magnier, Michael B Tabor, Derrick Smith Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing LLC & Peter M Brant; B-Debby M Oxley (KY); T-Chad Brown. Sales history: $2,300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $96,750. Last start: 2nd Dec. 2 GII Remsen S. Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), the FTSAUG $2.3 million sales topper, in some ways ran a better race than winner Dornoch (Good Magic) when on the losing end of a nose photo in the nine-furlong GII Remsen S. Dec. 2. That's because this Chad Brown trainee built up serious back-of-the-pack momentum when rallying from last over a sealed, muddy track. His big, sweeping, seven-wide move was notable on a day when speed was so dominant in 10 races at Aqueduct that five winners wired their fields and the remaining five were either right up on the pace or re-rallied after losing their leads. Sierra Leone sling-shotted to the lead but lugged in once it looked like he'd blow past Dornoch, who resiliently clawed back command while pinned near the inside rail. The two co-earned 91 Beyers. Sierra Leone | Coglianese It was a costly lack of late-race focus in terms of the race outcome, but still, it's the type of lapse you'd rather see in December than in the spring. It was only Sierra Leone's second lifetime start, and two turns against stakes company is never a slam-dunk for a first try off a debut maiden win, even one that stamped him as a 'TDN Rising Star'. Brown told DRF.com post-win that Sierra Leone reminds him a bit of Early Voting, another Gun Runner colt he trained to a win in the 2022 GI Preakness S. “Now that he's lugged in [twice], I'll fool around with a little equipment to straighten him out,” Brown told DRF. “He's got a world of ability so we'll take him down [to Florida], regroup a little bit, and map out a campaign that hopefully gets him to the first Saturday in May.” 6) PARCHMENT PARTY (c, Constitution–Life Well Lived, by Tiznow) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-B Flay Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Bill Mott. Sales history: $450,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $141,960. Last start: WON Nov. 9 Churchill AOC. 'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party, a large-framed June 5 foal, rallied stoutly up the rail from last and determinedly churned his way through traffic when winning a two-turn Churchill allowance Nov. 9 with a four-wide sweep. This son of Constitution wasn't fully dialed in and a looked touch unfocused through the final furlong, but he also wasn't even close to scraping bottom effort-wise, either. The third- and fourth-place horses in that race won allowance and stakes engagements in their next-out starts. Parchment Party is bred on the same cross that produced Tiz the Law, who won multiple Grade I stakes in 2020 (Travers, Florida Derby, the nine-furlong Belmont S.), plus fellow 'Rising Star' and 2022 GIII Peter Pan S. victor We the People. A $450,000 KEESEP colt out of trainer Bill Mott's barn, Parchment Party got sent to Payson Park following his 2-for-2 start, but he hasn't had a published workout since Dec. 16. 7) TRACK PHANTOM (c, Quality Road–Miss Sunset, by Into Mischief) O-L & N Racing LLC, Clark O Brewster, Jerry Caroom & Breeze Easy LLC; B-Breeze Easy LLC (KY); T-Steve Asmussen. Sales history: $500,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-1, $165,000. Last start: WON Dec. 23 Gun Runner S. Track Phantom, a $500,000 KEESEP colt by Quality Road, doesn't leap out as a no-brainer Derby prospect. But the speed-centric winner of the Gun Runner S. does have upside appeal when you read between the lines of his past performances. Trainer Steve Asmussen has started him four times, twice in one-turn miles and twice at 1 1/16 miles, with a Beyer progression of 74, 81, 88 and 89. Yet one intangible that doesn't come across on paper is how level-headedly Track Phantom has dealt with keyed-up rivals to his inside in both of his two-turn races. In his Nov. 25 maiden-breaker, he forced the fractions with a rank runner pinned down at the fence from the entrance of the first turn to the start of the second, then repulsed a challenge from the only other horse to draw within a half-length on the turn. Roused for run three-sixteenths out, this colt showed a hint of another gear a furlong from the wire before being wrapped up late. Facing winners for the first time against stakes company at Fair Grounds, Track Phantom was keen to make the lead from his outside post in the Gun Runner S., but a 36-1 speedster slipped up the open rail. The duo sparred down the backstretch before Track Phantom seized the lead three-eighths out and held off bids from two fresh challengers, including the 1-2 favorite. “It's impressive that both of his two turn races have been victories,” Asmussen said post-win. “I actually thought they went too fast in the middle [of the Gun Runner]. You know, [a :46.93 half] here in a two-turn race, you don't see horses see it out very often.” The Jan. 20 GII Lecomte S. is next. 8) DORNOCH (c, Good Magic–Puca, by Big Brown) O-West Paces Racing LLC, R A Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC, Two Eight Racing LLC & Pine Racing Stables; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Danny Gargan. Sales history: $325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0, $257,400. Last start: WON Dec. 2 GII Remsen S. Dornoch (Good Magic) figures to be one of the more intriguing story lines as Derby 150 approaches because he's a full brother to last year's Derby winner, Mage. This $325,000 KEESEP colt started off his career for trainer Danny Gargan with a pair of seconds, one in a Saratoga maiden sprint and another in the Sapling S. going a mile at Monmouth. He then wired a 1 1/16-mile maiden field at Keeneland Oct. 14, running up the score by 6 1/2 lengths. Dornoch (inside) | Sarah Andrew Dornoch won the Remsen S. at Aqueduct by outsprinting five other rivals for the lead into the first turn over a speed-favoring track. Settling at the fence while pressured by a 27-1 shot, he knocked back bids from a couple of new challengers on the far turn, then fought gamely to surge back in front after seemingly being passed for good by Sierra Leone. He also brushed the rail in upper stretch, yet somehow overcame that too. “It's crazy. Usually when a horse hits the rail at the eighth pole like he did, they just stop running altogether,” Gargan said post-win. “I can't believe he re-rallied after that. He did see the other horse and get running back at him, but hitting the rail knocked him off stride and then it took him a few jumps to get back going.” Gargan mentioned the Mar. 2 GII Fountain of Youth S. over 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream as a possible next start, with the Feb. 3 GIII Withers S. at Aqueduct in the mix (which would be a second straight nine-furlong race for Dornoch). 9) CATCHING FREEDOM (c, Constitution–Catch My Drift, by Pioneerof the Nile) O-Albaugh Family Stables LLC; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $575,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $237,350. Last start: WON Jan. 1 Smarty Jones S. Catching Freedom (Constitution) broke his maiden in a one-turn mile at Churchill, ran a credible fourth behind Parchment Party in a 1 1/16-mile allowance, then annexed the Jan. 1 Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn with a long, grind-'em-down rally (87 Beyer). This $575,000 KEESEP colt rode the rail near the back in his stakes debut, sliced between rivals entering the far turn, got second run at a dueling duo, spun widest in the five path, then finished in workmanlike fashion with his head cocked to the grandstand before widening the winning margin to 2 1/2 lengths. “Very proud of the horse,” trainer Brad Cox said post-win. “I think he's still learning. I think he was a little green there down the lane, but overall showed that he does have a lot of stamina and talent.” Catching Freedom is a half-brother to Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo), a stakes-placed sophomore who raced four times for Cox (different owners) in 2023. That colt had the distinction of posting Beyers of 97, 88, 97 and 96, and in one of those races Bishops Bay was beaten only a head by subsequent Belmont S. and Travers S. winner Arcangelo (Arrogate). 10) CHANGE OF COMMAND (c, Into Mischief–Moi, by Medaglia d'Oro) O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-OXO Equine LLC (KY); T-Shug McGaughey. Sales history: $570,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV; $1,050,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-1, $113,300. Last start: WON Jan. 5 Gulfstream AOC. It took four well-spaced starts for this son of Into Mischief ($570,000 FTKNOV, $1.05 million KEESEP) to bust out of the maiden ranks at 2-5 odds at Gulfstream. But he's now won two in a row in Florida after an 83-Beyer allowance score Jan. 5 over 1 1/16 miles, capitalizing on a trouble-free stalking trip to wear down a pesky pacesetter. Despite winning by a neck, trainer Shug McGuaghey said Change of Command “didn't want to finish as well as I'd like. I've got to do some work to figure things out. I hope this moves him forward. He had to kind of belly down and run, so that should help him. We'll take him back to Payson and find out.” Change of Command had previously compiled a robust set of company lines while finishing respectably behind well-regarded juveniles in New York. 11) ETHAN ENERGY (c, Uncle Mo–Sass and Class, by Harlan's Holiday) O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $34,250. Last start: Won Dec. 23 FG MdSpWt. This Fair Grounds maiden-breaker for trainer Brad Cox hit the winner's circle in start number two Dec. 23, adding Lasix. removing blinkers, and stretching to 1 1/16 miles for a 5 1/4-length tally (83 Beyer). Under a light hold on the outside while midpack behind a tepid tempo, Ethan Energy was encouraged to loop the group on the far turn. This Stonestreet homebred son of Uncle Mo stayed on and opened up under mild rousing through the lane, then got pushed out late under a steady hand ride before being geared down for the final stages. His debut at Keeneland, in which Ethan Energy was off last and allowed to lag with only mild progress inside, has thus far yielded three next-out maiden winners. One of them, Legalize (Constitution), also won the Sugar Bowl S., which was two races later on the same card as Ethan Energy's maiden score. 12) CARBONE (c, Mitole–Treasure in Heaven, by Street Sense) 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-L William & Corinne Heiligbrodt (KY); T-Steve Asmussen. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $153,000. Last start: WON Dec. 31 OP AOC. This 'TDN Rising Star's sire, Mitole, was the blitzingly fast 2019 champion male sprinter. But there are enough longer-distance influences in Carbone's pedigree (Giant's Causeway and Seattle Slew up top, Street Sense for a damsire) to think he might stay on as a horse of interest as the prep season progresses. Carbone has been in front at every call in his 2-for-2 career for trainer Steve Asmussen, and this homebred for William and Corinne Heiligbrodt has paired 85 and 86 Beyers while stretching out from six furlongs to a mile. In his Oaklawn allowance win, Carbone effortlessly controlled the tempo and really only faced one serious challenge on the far turn, opening up under his own power and toying with that rival whenever he edged closer. His run into the stretch provided a nice visual, with jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. sitting chilly atop this colt while every other horse in his wake was being driven. Carbone won by four, but it could have been more had the race not finished at the sixteenth pole under Oaklawn's short-stretch configuration for the mile distance. The post TDN Derby Top 12: Dreams of Roses Take the Chill out of January appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Veteran has career win number 20 Still winning as a 13-year-old Take After Me has been a remarkable horse for the Scotts at Kaiapoi. The dual gaited veteran won the Famous Grouse Hotel Lincoln Trot at Motukarara on Sunday by a nose from Ruthless Lizzie to register his 20th lifetime win in 349 starts. He has won four starts as a pacer and 16 as a trotter. The son of Holmes Hanover is trained by Fred Scott, who races the horse along with wife Jan. Holiday milestones Bringing up the half century over the holiday break have been talented junior driver Wilson House and trainer Amber Lethaby. Lethaby brought up the milestone of 50 training successes when she drove Big Mama Morris to victory at Motukarara on December 29, while House brought up his 50th driving success with Amelia Rose at Tauherenikau on January 2. On December 27 Rory McIlwrick brought up his 200th win with Dwindle Star at Gore. Dexter cracks $10m in stakes Ten-time Kiwi champion Dexter Dunn has finished 2023 as the fourth highest earning driver in North America. The US-based driver earned stakes of $10.8m in 2023, ranking him behind Yannick Gingras ($15.1m), Tim Tetrick ($14.1m) and David Millar ($10.9m). Dunn is a four-time winner of the Dan Patch Driver of the Year. History beckons for Alford Champion driver Chris “Puppet” Alford is closing in on yet another remarkable career milestone, after a winning treble at Melton last Friday night took him to 7984 wins. At his current rate, Alford will become the first Australasian driver to top 8000 career wins in the next two to three weeks. The 55-year-old is already a Hall of Famer and has achieved pretty much everything in his field, including the epic win aboard Golden Reign in the 1995 Christchurch Inter Dominion early in his career. He also holds the Australian record for the most wins in a single season with 456 in 2017/18. Grimson’s new star goes 7 from 8 With New Zealand Cup winner Swayzee out having a good break, Hi Manameisjeff has adopted “stable star” status for Jason Grimson. The injury-plagued gelding lived up to the tag when he resumed from a let-up to post his seventh win from just eight starts since joining Grimson’s stable at Menangle over the weekend. Driver Cameron Hart blasted Hi Manameisjeff out from gate six to wrest the lead and was happy to keep rolling for a 1min50.8sec mile, capped by closing splits of 53.7 and 26.4sec. The Miracle Mile is his major target. Former star Kiwi pacer South Coast Arden sat behind the leader and ran a solid second, while another former Kiwi Mach Da Vinci was third. Minstrel streets them at Gloucester Park High class former Kiwi pacer Minstrel has his mojo back. Long regarded as one of Western Australia’s most talented pacers, Minstrel is right back in peak form for Team Bond. The seven-year-old completed a hat trick of wins at Gloucester Park last Friday night. He put in a couple of rough strides when challenged for the lead early and headed by his main danger, Lavra Joe, but recovered to blitz his rivals by 12.6m in a slick 1min54.5sec mile rate for 2130m. 10YO goes back to back Former Kiwi veteran Northview Hustler is far from showing his age. After a long drought, the 10-year-old made it back-to-back Albion Park free-for-all wins when he beat a good field over the weekend. The gelding went a personal best 1min50.6sec for 1660m two runs back and went close to that again with a 1min51.2sec mile rate winning courtesy of a lovely Adam Richardson drive from three pegs. View the full article

By Adam Hamilton Mark Purdon’s Aussie raid has been delayed another week. The champion trainer confirmed he and son Nathan were still focused on chasing Victorian riches with pacing stars Akuta and Don’t Stop Dreaming and had planned to send the pair across to focus on Ballarat Cup night on January 20. Now, the glamour pacing pair won’t arrive in Victoria until after Ballarat. “Don’t Stop Dreaming just didn’t pull up as well as hoped from the last start and needs a bit more time,” Mark Purdon said. “We’re on top of it and he’s had it before. It’s some jarring in his feet. “Brooke (Wilkins) is looking after him in Auckland and by all reports, he’s getting better by the day. “But we can’t take across until we’re totally happy with him, or things could really go wrong. “So, we’ll push it back another week and get him across a few days before the Casey Classic meeting (January 27) at Melton.” That means stable star Akuta’s trip will also be delayed to align with Don’t Stop Dreaming’s travel. “Yes, they’ll travel together, so Akuta will miss the Ballarat Cup now,” Purdon said. “He can run in the Casey Classic and go into the Hunter Cup the week after. “Depending on how Don’t Stop Dreaming is assessed, he could run in the Casey Classic as well, or there’s a ratings race he might be eligible for. “Either way, both will now run at Melton on the 27th (of January) and again the week after.” Akuta will head to the $450,000 Hunter Cup (February 3), while Don’t Stop Dreaming’s aim is the $100,000 4YO Bonanza on the same night. Muscle Mountain rules out Aussie trip By Michael Guerin Star trotter Muscle Mountain will be staying put at least for now. The giant multiple Group 1 winner is back in work after a setback ruled him out of the NZ Trotting Free-For-All on Grand Prix Day at Addington but driver Ben Hope says the intended Australian trip for the Great Southern Star is off. “We wanted to go to Victoria but being out of a work for a while he won’t be ready,” says Hope. “So he will stay here and race in a couple of the major races here then head north.” Top target when Muscle Mountain gets there will be the TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 12, which his connections hold a slot for so he is guaranteed a start. “It is pretty exciting and knowing he is in the race helps us plan backward from there.” Hope says the last part of Muscle Mountain’s year was disappointing after he was the best trotter in the country for much of 2023. “He missed out in some of those biggest races, like the Rowe Cup and the Dominion and obviously the last one wasn’t his fault (atrial fibrillation). “We realise that opens the door for Oscar Bonavena in the Trotter of the Year title. “So we want to get him back to his best and nail some of those big races this season.” View the full article

by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Following on from grandfather Frank, and her father Scott it’s now Ryleigh Phelan’s turn to make her way in the sport. On Sunday the youngster made a winning debut in a Kidz Kartz race at Cambridge. “I was nervous, I had butterflies,” Ryleigh said, “but it was real fun.” Ryleigh has been driving at club events and the like for two years. But it was only after she turned 10 last week that she was eligible to drive at Kidz Kartz events. Partnered with Franklin Kidz Kartz Club pony Dainty she had a fourth in the first heat and then a win. “She won by about three lengths,” says proud dad Scott Phelan, “it was three pony lengths though!” Ryleigh was pretty chuffed too – “it was very nice.” And there was no lack of support. “The whole family was there including the grandparents,” says Scott. Grandad Frank Phelan is a well-known figure in the sport. The starter at Alexandra Park, he is also a successful trainer (116 wins since 1990) as well as the winner of 30 races as an open or amateur driver. Son Scott followed him into the sport, he’s had 583 driving wins, dating back to 2000 and trained since 2008 either on his own account or in partnership with one of the sport’s greatest ever trainers in Barry Purdon. And with Barry and wife Katrina sponsoring the latest generation of Phelans to hit the racetrack Ryleigh was appropriately decked out in their distinctive silver and blue colours. Making it a day to remember Scott Phelan also got in the winners’ circle on Sunday, with the Purdon-Phelan trained Benson Dude taking out Race 6, the NZB Airfreight Mobile Pace. While Ryleigh enjoys sports, especially netball and soccer, it’s horses that are her number one. She’s been around them since she can remember. “She’s very confident around horses,” Scott says. And Ryleigh’s interest has ramped up big time of late, after getting her own pony Tex for Christmas. “He’s very well behaved,” says Ryleigh. Such is their bond it’s been said she would even sleep in his stall if given the chance. Tex is stabled with the Purdons at Clevedon, and it’s hoped he will qualify for Kidz Kartz racing later this month. “He hasn’t made it to Merlin’s paddock just yet!” laughs Scott. View the full article

What differentiates current law and the bill passed Monday is that the new bill requires the appropriation of funds for horse racing purses in an additional five fiscal years, through fiscal year 2029.View the full article

Russian Fable was set to head to the spelling paddock following her last start fifth placing at Greymouth, but trainer Nayton Mitchell was pleased he made the decision to have one final roll of the dice with his mare. The West Melton horseman elected to back her up in the Greg Daly Real Estate/Birchfield Ross Mining (1400m) at Reefton on Tuesday and she rewarded him with her sixth victory and the second in Mitchell’s career. She jumped well and jockey Yogesh Atchamah was able to find the one-one with his mare. She enjoyed an economical passage until Atchamah asked her to improved at the 600m mark and Russian Fable sat three-wide outside June Bug and leader Wild Rover. June Bug began to tire, leaving Russian Fable and Wild Rover to fight it out in the straight, with the former getting the better of her rival in the closing stages to win by a neck. Mitchell was delighted to get the win, particularly for owner and fellow trainer Andrew Carston. “We were really stoked to get the win,” Mitchell said. “We set her up for the Miss Scenicland Stakes (1500m) at Greymouth where she did try hard but the track conditions just got to her. “She was going to go to the paddock after that but we decided to give her one more run. “Andrew is a big supporter of the stable, so it was great to get the win for him.” Russian Fable will now head for her planned spell before returning to racing closer to winter for the polytrack season. “She has been running really honestly but she just gets out-classed at this time of the year, so she is going to go in the paddock now and have a rest until the poly,” Mitchell said. “She won a couple on the poly in the second half of last season, so we will aim her for those races.” A former international showjumper, Mitchell has a family background in racing and said it was always on the cards to work in the industry following years in the sport horse world. “I went over to Ireland and competed for New Zealand over there and then came back to New Zealand and did the young rider series,” he said. “I moved to Palmerston North and had a sales business there for two years and then moved down to Christchurch and did the showjumpers for another year or two before the racehorses took over. “We had a team of 10 showjumpers going around the circuit, mostly young horses doing the age-group series, and specialised in buying, producing and selling young showjumpers. “I have always done trackwork and my family is quite involved with racing so I knew one day I would end up doing it.” Mitchell currently has a dozen thoroughbreds in work and is looking to add some younger members to his team when he heads to Karaka later this month for New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale. “We will be at Karaka and hopefully buy a couple of yearlings,” he said. “I have an owner or two who want to buy a young one, so it will be great to have some younger horses to work with over the coming years.” View the full article

Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will on Saturday bid to complete a premier sprinting double with Dragon Leap (Pierro) expected to be ideally suited at Trentham in his quest for top-flight honours in the Gr.1 JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m). The Matamata trainers bagged the opening leg at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day following Waitaki’s (NZ) (Proisir) dashing Gr.1 Railway (1200m) victory, with his stablemate fourth and with a genuine excuse for not finishing closer. “We were really pleased with his effort and, with the trouble we’ve had with his feet through his career, we knew losing a shoe would affect his performance,” Scott said. “Opie (Bosson) said he lost a strong gallop in the last 150 yards. We’re not saying it cost him winning the race, but it certainly affected him. “When they lose a shoe like that you always worry that they may feel it for a day or two, but with the shoe back on the following morning he hasn’t missed a beat.” The stable is also confident that Dragon Leap will improve with the outing, his first appearance since finishing runner-up in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) in the spring. “We believe the run has brought him on and we’ve just ticked him over and in the wee bit of work he has done, he has looked really enthusiastic,” Scott said. “He comes in better at the weights in the Telegraph than he did in the Railway and we’ve always had a belief that the Telegraph will suit his style of racing. “It’s a high-pressure race and they go a true gallop, so we think he’ll run it out really strongly.” Meanwhile, Waitak will make his next appearance in the Gr.1 BCD Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on February 10. “He races so well fresh and the quick back-up into the Telegraph wouldn’t have suited him and he races well at Te Rapa,” Scott said. “He came through New Year’s Day well and he’s in a good place.” The stable also has Geriatrix (Almanzor) primed for Saturday’s Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Levin Classic (1600m) following his run for fourth last time out in the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m). “We went to Otaki with high hopes and walked away knowing a bit more about the horse and we will certainly look to ride him a little quieter,” Scott said. “We might have had him a fraction close and the way the race was run it was set up for the backmarkers. He’s had a wee gap between runs, but he turned in a really good piece of work on Monday. “He’s a really focussed colt and believe he’s got the ability to be competitive in these sorts of races with the right run.” Bramco Granite & Marble Premier (1600m) contender Cornwallis (NZ) (Lonhro) will complete the travelling party to Trentham and is considered a strong each-way prospect. “He’s been racing well and two starts back he lacked a bit of luck. He couldn’t get any momentum going at Tauranga and then at Matamata he got back in a slowly run race and pressed on well for third,” Scott said. Wexford Stables also has a number of representatives at Tauranga on Friday with Neighbourhood (NZ) (Pins), Monday Melody (Snitzel) and Jaffira (NZ) (Iffraaj) among their leading prospects. Neighbourhood will bid to go one better in the Ray White Greerton (1400m) following a bold run for second when resuming at Matamata. “We couldn’t have been more pleased with his first-up performance, he really dashed at the line and is working well. He’s a horse that has benefitted from a patient approach and certainly one of our best chances,” Scott said. Monday Melody will drop back in grade from an unplaced run in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) in the Proudly Ray White (1600m), in which he will be opposed by Jaffira. “Monday Melody is going a bit better than it may look and he will be stepping up in trip, which he is bred to run,” Scott said. “He’s out of a Frankel mare and goes back to a stout New Zealand family and even though he’s by Snitzel, he’ll be more competitive over the mile. “Jaffira ran well at Pukekohe and Opie (Bosson) was pretty happy with him and he’s improved with recent racing.” View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a pricy sales grad. 18.30 Kempton, £8,000, Nov, 3yo, 8f (AWT) Godolphin's once-raced EL CORDOBES (IRE) (Frankel {GB}), a 2-million guineas Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate, is out of a half-sister to G1 Haydock Sprint Cup heroine Tante Rose (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) and returns off a debut sixth over course and distance last month. Opposition to the Charlie Appleby trainee includes Qatar Racing's hitherto untried West Hollywood (Uncle Mo), who is a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), from the Roger Varian stable. The post Two-Million Guineas Book 1 Graduate Set For Kempton Return appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A few days after the third-place finisher in the Remsen Stakes (G2) posted an initial stakes victory, the highly regarded winner of the mile-and-an-eighth stakes is taking his first steps toward matching his full brother's magical accomplishment.View the full article

On Wednesday, January 10, various horse racing bookmakers have unveiled their racing promotions, featuring a range of enticing bonus back offers for horse racing enthusiasts. The top Australian racing promotions for January 10, 2024, include: Today’s best horse racing promotions Warwick Farm All Races – Same Race Multi 3+ Leg Bonus Back If 1 Leg Fails Up To $50 Place a 3+ leg Same Race Multi bet on any race at Warwick Farm this Wednesday and if 1 leg of your multi fails, get up to $50 back in Bonus Cash. Available from approximately 8:30am local track time on race day. Neds T&Cs apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Sandown Races 1-4 2nd or 3rd Bonus Back up to $50 Back a runner in races 1-4 at Sandown this Wednesday and if it runs 2nd or 3rd get up to $50 in Bonus Cash. Fixed Win bets only. Neds T&Cs apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Sandown Bonus Back 2nd or 3rd Races 1-4 Place a bet in races 1-4 at Sandown on Wednesday and if your selection comes in 2nd or 3rd, you’ll get your money back in bonus bets. General T&Cs apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo Double Winnings – Sandown Races 5-8 Double Winnings in BONUS CASH Up To $50! First Bet On A Runner To Win (Includes a win selection in an SRM) Winnings does not include stake. Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to PickleBet to Claim Promo 10 Again! 10% Winnings Boost Paid in Bonus Cash! Get 10% Boosted Winnings paid in BONUS CASH up to $100 (including SRM). First Bet Only at Warwick Farm, Matamata & Belmont. Paid on Winnings Only, Return of Stake Not Included. Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to PickleBet to Claim Promo BoomBet Daily Race Returns Use your daily Race Returns to back a runner in ANY RACE you want* and if your horse doesn’t win but finishes in the specified positions, you get your stake back as a bonus bet. 18+ Gamble responsibly. Can be used across any race and code unless specified in customer’s BoomBox. Fix odds, win bets only. Max bonus $50. Login to BoomBet to Claim Promo Bonus Back 2nd or 3rd on R1-3 at Sandown & Warwick Farm Promotional Limits Apply. Min 6 runners. Fixed Odds only. T&Cs Apply Login to UniBet to Claim Promo BRAND NEW Daily Trifecta Boosts Boost your winnings on Trifectas by 10% with new Daily Trifecta Boosts. Thoroughbreds only. T&Cs apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au source its racing bonus offers? HorseBetting.com.au has meticulously assessed the premier horse racing bookmakers in Australia, revealing exclusive bonus promotions and specials tailored for thoroughbred enthusiasts on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. These horse racing promotions are a regular feature, exemplifying the unwavering commitment of Australia’s leading horse racing bookmakers. If one bookmaker happens to lack a promotion on a given day, rest assured that another is stepping up with enticing offers within the realm of gallops. For your daily dose of the most lucrative horse racing bookmaker bonuses, HorseBetting.com.au stands as the ultimate destination. Maximise the value of your punting endeavours with bookie bonuses boasting the most competitive horse racing odds for every race. It’s crucial to emphasise that these thoroughbred racing promotions are exclusively designed for existing customers. To access these special promotions and claim the bookmaker’s offers, log in to each online bookmaker’s platform. For those seeking races and horses to leverage their horse betting bookmaker bonus bets, HorseBetting provides a valuable resource with its daily free racing tips. Stay well-informed, adopt strategic approaches, and enhance your overall horse racing experience by capitalising on these exclusive promotions. More horse racing promotions View the full article

Horse Racing on Wednesday, January 10 will feature six meetings in Australia. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and provided free quaddie tips for the meeting at Sandown, Warwick Farm and Happy Valley (HK). Wednesday Horse Racing Tips – January 10, 2024 Sandown Racing Tips Warwick Farm Racing Tips Happy Valley (HK) Racing Tips Best Horse Racing Bets For January 10, 2024 Place these horse racing bets in a multi for $133.71 odds return: Wednesday, January 10, 2024 Sandown – Race 4 #7 Silver Waves Sandown – Race 7 #7 Awash Warwick Farm – Race 4 #8 Mr Kennedy (P) Warwick Farm – Race 5 #2 Age Of Sail | Copy this bet straight to your betslip As always there a plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans, check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on January 10, 2024 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. More horse racing tips View the full article

Fueled by strong wagering during the first seven weeks of its meet, Fair Grounds announced Jan. 9 a 10% purse increase across the board, along with $25,000 added to the purses of 10 stakes.View the full article

What Pakenham Races Where Pakenham Racecourse – 420 Nar Nar Goon–Longwarry Rd, Tynong VIC 3813 When Thursday, January 11, 2024 First Race 5pm AEDT Visit Dabble Thursday night racing returns to Pakenham Racecourse for another year, where a bumper nine-race meeting is set down for decision. With plenty of rain in Melbourne’s south-east, the track has come up a Heavy 8 at the time of acceptances, but with favourable conditions forecast, we should be beginning on an improving surface. The rail sticks in the true position, with action commencing at 5pm AEDT. Best Bet at Pakenham: Lonfire Danny O’Brien’s Lonfire has not been beaten far in two runs this campaign, finishing third at Kyneton on December 14, before hitting the line strongly at Geelong when finishing second behind Regal Vow. He gave his rivals a massive start at Geelong, but the Lonhro gelding produced a strong finish to only just miss out. The Pakenham straight should suit the four-year-old down to the ground, with Fred Kersley no doubt looking to find clear air and letting Lonfire build through his gears. With even luck, and armed with a strong turn of foot, Lonfire looks too good for his rivals in this. Best Bet Race 7 – #4 Lonfire (7) 4yo Gelding | T: Danny O’Brien | J: Fred Kersley (60.5kg) -666.67 with Neds Next Best at Pakenham: Justaboom Justaboom from the Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock has begun his career in decent enough fashion to suggest she should be breaking maiden ranks at start three. The Justify filly worked to the line nicely on debut at Sandown, before chasing home Red Mile at Cranbourne on December 22. Despite being beaten 1.3 lengths last time out, Justaboom managed to put six lengths on his closest rival in an on-speed dominated affair. Despite not being able to reel in the leader, the chestnut filly looks to have a struck a maiden no harder than last time out. Jamie Mott will have her settled up on speed, and from there, Justaboom should prove too hard to gun down. Next Best Race 2 – #10 Justaboom (5) 3yo Filly | T: Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock | J: Jamie Mott (56.5kg) -125 with Picklebet Next Best Again at Pakenham: Hellfire Fresh off a six-month spell, the Nikki Burke-trained Hellfire looks ready to fire on Thursday night. The four-year-old gelding has resumed with a couple of quiet jumpouts as he makes his return to the racetrack, and the son of Hellbent looks to bring the right formlines into a race like this. With a win and three minor placings on rain-affected ground, we know he will handle the conditions in front of him. With form behind the likes of Golden Path, Lounge Bar Rubi and Brung King, Hellfire looks perfectly placed in BM64 company. He will need a genuinely run 1400m event as he looks to get back and run on. With even luck, Hellfire can finish over the top of his rivals, and in doing so salute at a nice price with top horse racing bookmakers. Next Best Again Race 9 – #1 Hellfire (11) 4yo Gelding | T: Nikki Burke | J: Jamie Mott (60kg) +230 with Dabble Thursday quaddie tips for Pakenham Pakenham quadrella selections Thursday, January 11, 2024 1-4-6-7-10 4-8 2-5-6-7 1-2-6-7 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Assembly Bill 5893, which called for an extension of annual purse subsidies given to New Jersey's Thoroughbred and Standardbred Industries through 2029, was passed Monday by the New Jersey Senate by a 35-1 margin. The bill had earlier been passed by the Assembly, by a margin of 73-0, and will now head to the desk of Governor Phil Murphy, who is expected to sign the legislation into law. The bill calls for a $20 million subsidy to be split evenly among the two breeds. The money is seen as a critical lifeline as New Jersey's tracks do not receive revenue from any outside sources, namely from the Atlantic City casinos. Without the subsidy, Monmouth purses would fall behind those offered in nearby states like Pennsylvania and Maryland. “What it does is give our breeders, owners and trainers opportunities through 2029,” said New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association Executive Director Michael Musto. “It establishes a continuation of the stability we have now in New Jersey. Thanks to Dennis Drazin [the chairman and CEO of Darby Development, operator of Monmouth Park] 100% of our money goes to overnight purses and that's the heart of what makes racing in New Jersey. It's really encouraging. It's really Dennis Drazin who makes this all possible.” Earlier bills had already guaranteed the subsidy for 2024. The extension will now keep the subsidy in place through 2029. According to the Daily Racing Form, last year, Monmouth distributed $31 million in purses over 56 live racing days, for an average of $553,000 a day, the highest in its history, with one-third of that money coming from the subsidy. As a condition of receiving the subsidy, Monmouth, which is run by the state's horsemen, must issue a report to the legislature, the governor and the New Jersey Racing Commission on how the funds were appropriated. The subsidies appear to be helping as Monmouth has recorded increases in average total handle and average on-track handle three straight years. The average total handle in 2023 was $4,032,648, an 11.4% increase over last year's average of $3,620,719. Monmouth is scheduled to open on May 11 and run a 51-day meet. A 10 day meet of all-turf racing at the Meadowlands will commence when Monmouth closes. The post NJ Legislature Passes Bill to Extend Purse Subsidies Through 2029 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

James Culver has what may be viewed as a second horse of a lifetime in Hoist the Gold, who is being pointed toward the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.View the full article

Who would be a stallion master, eh? Sure it's fine if you have a new horse to show off, or one of the elite few who has truly made it, but pity the owner of the stallion who has just faded from fashion through no real fault of his own, merely overlooked as the stampede rushes on to the next new thing. One can't blame breeders either for showing such interest in the new stallions at stud, for they have yet to be judged (though they will be, just as soon as their first foals hit the sales grounds) and have therefore “done nothing wrong”. Let's not forget that in almost all cases, for a stallion to be at stud in the first place he was a decent racehorse. But there are degrees of decency, from the downright jaw-dropping bred-in-the-purple Classic winner to the Group 3 winner whose precocity and speed are really all he has going for him unless he can throw a nice type in the first place, and then those nice types can go on to do as their father did. That can be enough these days, and there's a separate and lengthy debate to be had about whether that really should be enough. But for breeders trying to sustain their business through a commercial approach, the first thing that matters is how likely you are to be able to sell a foal or yearling well, no matter how much we all know that breeding for the racecourse is what really counts in the long run, as long as that run isn't too long a run, if you know what I mean. Aye, there's the rub. The long-term view can be rewarded with the greatest riches. Breeding a 'Cup horse', for example. Big prizes on big days, or perhaps a big offer from another nation that has already lost its way on the stamina front, or indeed from a major jumps owner if things haven't quite worked out on the Flat. Increasingly, through, few breeders can or want to wait that long. And as one breeder remarked at the recent foal sales, “At least if you have a horse by a first-season sire you know that every pinhooker is going to look at him.” So as we begin our Value Sires series in Europe for the season ahead, we will tackle the newcomers first before we head on, in price brackets, to those stallions who may or may not be suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, which in the bloodstock business often merely means they are no longer this year's 'it boy'. How anyone can base a business plan on such an unpredictable collective whim is beyond me, but that's the challenge faced by breeders when deciding on matings each year. If you are using a currently popular stallion who will cover a large book then you'd better pray extra hard for a corker of an individual if there are any holes in your mare's pedigree or production record. From Paddington (GB) at €55,000 to a handful of sires at €5,000, with just about everything in between, there is a huge range in both price and talent of this year's intake. We are not including a full list of new sires here, and the three which we consider to represent the best value in this division feature on the podium at the conclusion of this piece. Value is relative, of course, and the fee for Paddington is punchy enough but then he was superb last year in his somewhat unusual progression from the Madrid Handicap in a bog at Naas through to that string of four Group 1 victories on summer ground at the Curragh, Ascot and Sandown and then back to more give at Goodwood. You can't really argue with a record that includes the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James' Palace S. (beating Chaldean), Eclipse S. and Sussex S. Mostahdaf (Ire) and Nashwa (GB) had his measure at York in the International but by then Paddington had won six on the bounce, at a rate of a race pretty much every month since late March. His first three dams all earned black type on the track, and we like to see a bit of Montjeu (Ire) on the page, through his Listed-winning dam Modern Eagle (Ger), providing a variation on a theme of Coolmore's other two sons of Siyouni (Fr), Sottsass (Fr) and St Mark's Basilica (Fr), who are both out of Galileo (Ire) mares. Paddington's granddam Millionaia (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) was runner-up in the G1 Prix de Diane and great granddam Moonlight Dance (Alysheba) was third in the G1 Saint-Alary. But his fourth dam Madelia (Fr) (Caro {Ire}) outpointed them both by winning the Diane, Saint-Alary and the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, so there is plenty on the page to reinforce his claim to future greatness. It is up to each breeder to decide whether or not €55,000 is a price they can swallow, but it is a pretty safe bet that Paddington, himself a €420,000 yearling, will already have plenty of takers. Coolmore is big on bears this year, and in fact Paddington and his fellow new recruit Little Big Bear (Ire) both hail from Wildenstein families, with the latter being a great grandson of the Hall-of-Famer All Along (Fr) (Targowice). Reinforcing the No Nay Never blood in Tipperary, he did as he was expected and was fast and early. At three, he added the G2 Sandy Lane to the previous year's win in the G1 Phoenix S. in which he was injured. He was then beaten by Shaquille (GB) in the G1 Commonwealth Cup and a further injury incurred in the July Cup brought about his early retirement. Little Big Bear starts out at €27,500. Putting on the Rizz The Oxford English Dictionary's word of the year for 2023 was 'Rizz'. No, me neither, but apparently if you're a regular TikTokker, you will already know that this means “style, charm, or attractiveness, and the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner”, or put more simply is a shortened version of charisma. I don't know the French translation of rizz, but let's go with 'ooh la la', and it's something which Ace Impact (Ire) has in spades. Who among us did not marvel at the way he chewed up and spat out the otherwise brilliant Big Rock (Ire) down the Chantilly straight in the Prix du Jockey Club? Could he stay a mile and a half? Could he ever, just as soon as the afterburners were engaged to propel him past Westover (GB) and Onesto (Ire) in the Arc. Jean-Claude Rouget told TDN in October that he watched Ace Impact's six races through again after he was retired, perhaps to remind himself that, though brief, his career really did burn brightly. Always leave them wanting more, they say, and he certainly did after six perfect races. It's a shame but understandable, as when it comes to launching a Prix du Jockey Club and Arc winner at an almost brand new stallion operation, the time to strike is when he is unbeaten and his last sensational run is still emblazoned on breeders' memories. In contrast, we saw plenty of Modern Games (Ire), who holds that rare bragging right of being a Group 1 winner at two, three and four, and a dual Breeders' Cup winner to boot. He's a proper miler, a Classic-winning one, and it'll cost £30,000 to send him a mare, but good luck if you've been dawdling as it was reported at Darley's open morning on Tuesday that he was full before Christmas. It's not hard to see why as Modern Games is a lovely individual with balance and scope, who joins his sire Dubawi (Ire) on the Dalham Hall Stud roster. His family is one which is increasingly repaying Sheikh Mohammed, who bought his granddam Epitome (Ire) (Nashwan) from her breeder Gerald Leigh. She has given the Godolphin operation the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Ultra (Ire) (Manduro {Ger}) among her 10 winning offspring. Modern Ideals (GB) (New Approach (Ire) did not make that list of winners, running only twice unsuccessfully in France, but she has more than atoned in her second job as the dam of not just Modern Games but also his fellow Classic winner Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) and Listed winner Modern News (GB) (Shamardal). Son has also followed father in the case of Chaldean (GB), who is now at Banstead Manor Stud alongside Frankel (GB) and, like his sire, won the 2,000 Guineas and G1 Dewhurst S. If there were two buzz names during the December Sales among those touring the stallion studs of Newmarket then they were Chaldean and Shaquille (GB), whom we will come on to a bit later. Chaldean is at £25,000, which is significantly more that two other sons of Frankel retiring to Newmarket studs with higher ratings this year but, as Patrick Cooper pointed out in yesterday's TDN, he has plenty going for him on the commercial front. Chaldean was a relatively early two-year-old, carrying decent form through wins at Newbury then the G3 Acomb S., G2 Champagne S. and finally that year's Dewhurst before claiming his Classic laurels on his return to Newmarket. We wait to see what his Group 2-winning half-brother Alkumait (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) can achieve with his first runners this year, but certainly Chaldean's family has been much in the news for his breeder Whitsbury Manor Stud. Five of his dam's offspring have now earned black type, including the Group 1-placed Get Ahead (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who sold for 2.5 million gns at Tattersalls in December. It's a family going places, and Juddmonte will doubtless lend the might of its broodmare band to help Chaldean get off to the best possible start at stud. France Blessed with Enticing Names Had Vadeni (Fr), who was featured last week, been retired after his impressive three-year-old season, it is easy to imagine that he would be standing for more than €18,000 but that is his opening mark now at Haras de Bonneval which could well represent value about a horse who romped to victory in the “stallion-making” Prix du Jockey Club before also landing the Eclipse against his elders. His fellow Aga Khan Studs newcomer Erevann (Fr) can't match Vadeni on performance but he can on pedigree and this son of two Classic winners, with a good helping of 'rizz', really does look excellent value at €8,000. France is not short of new and enticing stallion prospects this year and three worthy of mention here are Mishriff (Ire) at €17,500, Onesto at €12,500 and Bay Bridge (GB) at €6,000. In some respects Mishriff is both fortunate and unfortunate. A badly-placed kick to the wall of his stable last winter meant that he missed all of what should have been his debut covering season. His price has been trimmed from what was his planned opening fee of €20,000, and you get an awful lot of performance and physique for the price he is now. He was a terrific racehorse who moves like a dream. Then of course there's his family, which includes those not insignificant stallions Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Kodiac (GB). Go and have another look at Mishriff at Haras de Montfort & Preaux if you're in France for the Route des Etalons. You won't be disappointed, especially as that extra year of letting down before embarking on his stud duties means that he now looks like a man among boys when compared to fellow new recruits. Onesto is a new Frankel for France at Haras d'Etreham. A compact horse whose breeze-up fractions at Ocala belied his middle-distance pedigree, he sent agent Hubert Guy into a similar rush to buy him for $535,000 and bring him back to Europe where he duly won the G1 Grand Prix de Paris. After winning the G1 Champion S. of 2022, Bay Bridge had a frustrating time of it last year. He did win the G3 September S. to bring his tally to seven victories from 16 starts, giving a solidity to his record, which included a close second to Luxembourg (Ire) in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. A later-maturing and powerful individual, the son of New Bay (GB) joins Haras du Mesnil, a stud with an excellent track record. He really should be given some consideration at his bargain fee. Your Guess is as Good as Ours If Mehmas (Ire) is the next Kodiac for Tally-Ho Stud, then who will be the next Mehmas? Could it be a son of Kodiac in the farm's latest stallion, Good Guess (GB)? His trainer Fabrice Chappet thought plenty of him from his earliest days in training, and it wasn't just because he was an expensive yearling at 420,000gns. He won his first two races as a juvenile but it wasn't until his three-year-old season that we really saw him flourish when Good Guess won the G1 Prix Jean Prat and G3 Prix Djebel, both over seven furlongs. Bred by Cheveley Park Stud, he's a grandson of their 1,000 Guineas winner Russian Rhythm (Kingmambo) and he's a well-made individual. At €17,500, he will have the Tally-Ho faithful, not to mention a decent number of the home mares, in his corner. Triple Time (Ire) very nearly made the podium below, but I'm only allowed three spots and it was a competitive field in this division. At £10,000, he has been fairly priced for his opening season at Dalham Hall Stud. Like Chaldean, he is a Group 1-winning miler by Frankel from a family that is clearly going places. Triple Time, winner of the Queen Anne S. last season, was actually rated 2lbs higher than Chaldean but his significantly lower fee reflects the fact that his top-level win didn't come until he was a four-year-old, though he was a Listed winner at two. He was lightly raced, making only two appearances in each of his last two seasons, but he was clearly no slouch and is one of two Group 1 winners from his dam Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), who has so far produced seven black-type runners. The family could be boosted further still this year by Classic prospect Rosallion (GB) (Blue Point {Ire}). Like Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland, England's Whitsbury Manor Stud has a loyal following of commercial clientele along with its own sizeable band of mostly speedily-bred broodmares. With Showcasing and Havana Grey (GB) the stud has had two of the most talked-about stallions in Britain in recent years, which is why one can't overlook the farm's latest recruit Dragon Symbol (GB), who was also bred at Whitsbury Manor. By Cable Bay, he appeared to be a Group 1 winner for a few agonising moments when finishing first past the post in the Commonwealth Cup. The race was awarded to Campanelle (Ire) in the stewards' room and he was demoted to second. Dragon Symbol has won five sprints in total as well as finishing second in the G1 July Cup and third in the G1 Nunthorpe. Could this bridesmaid become the bride, or even better the groom, in his next career, which he starts at a fee of £8,000? There has been a lot going on at the National Stud stallion yard in recent years with the arrival of Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) in 2022 being followed the next year by Stradivarius (Ire). Now comes the Shadwell-bred Mutasaabeq (GB), a son of Invincible Spirit from a solid stallion family which includes Nashwan, Unfuwain and Deep Impact (Jpn), with Baaeed (GB) in the wings. Mutasaabeq, a treble Group 2 winner whose pedigree was discussed in more detail in these pages recently, is introduced at a very reasonable £6,500. The shuffling of the pack which has brought Soldier's Call (GB) to Dullingham Park for his first season in England has meant that there was room for another son of Showcasing at Ballyhane Stud in Ireland. Step forward Asymmetric (Ire), the G2 Richmond S. winner and Morny third of 2021, who returned from a stint in America to win a Listed contest at Deauville last year on the same card that his half-brother Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) claimed his first stakes victory. Speed is what it says on his tin, and there will doubtless be plenty of breeders signing up for that at €7,000. TDN Value Podium Bronze: Mostahdaf (Ire), Beech House Stud, £15,000 As a good-looking winner of both the G1 Prince of Wales's S. and G1 Juddmonte International and a well-bred son of Frankel, it's hard not to think that Mostahdaf is a snip at £15,000. His dam Handassa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a Listed winner who has already bred another dual Group 1-winning miler in Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) while granddam Starstone (GB) (Diktat {GB}) is a half-sister to Goodricke (GB) and Pastoral Pursuits (GB), who were both Group 1-winning sprinters by Bahamian Bounty (GB). It's a classy pedigree which really should be pretty commercial. Perhaps the fact that Mostahdaf didn't race at two has moderated his fee, and he was undoubtedly at his best at five, but if durability and soundness count against horses these days then we are in the fast lane of the highway to disaster. Silver: Angel Bleu (Fr), Sumbe, €9,000 Sumbe has a trio of Group 1-winning newcomers, with the aforementioned Mishriff as well as Belbek (Fr), who should not be overlooked at €7,000. But Angel Bleu at his opening price of €9,000 really smacks of value. On the track he was an extremely likeable individual. Fast, early, but most importantly, hardy. He ran eight times at two for five wins from five furlongs to a mile, including the G2 Vintage S., G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and G1 Criterium International. He may have been written off when a setback curtailed his three-year-old season, but the son of Dark Angel (Ire) was back at four to win the G2 Celebration Mile and Listed Spring Trophy. He's a strong and bonny individual with an international pedigree of broad appeal. His dam, by Galileo, is a sister to Group 1 winners Highland Reel (Ire) and Idaho (Ire), while the achievements of his Australian third dam Circles Of Gold (Aus) (Marscay {Aus}), on the racecourse and at stud, are worthy of their own book. Gold: Shaquille (GB), Dullingham Park, £15,000 Of course none of this matters until we can see what their runners are capable of, but it was hard not to fall for Shaquille when he sauntered out to the new stallion showing ring at Dullingham Park during the December Sales. He was one of the talking points of that week, with many favourable comments from a range of breeders from all over Europe and he thus receives our first gold medal of this series. Shaquille doesn't really look like a sprinter, but that's what he was, and a very good one at that, winning the G1 Commonwealth Cup and then downing the colours of his older rivals in the G1 July Cup. He too can call on Galileo as his broodmare sire, and he is by a long way the best son of Charm Spirit (Ire), who was a multiple Group 1-winning miler himself. Grand-dam Danehurst (GB) (Danehill) was more than useful for Cheveley Park Stud and also very fast, as was the G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Hooray (GB) who is from the same family and, being by Invincible Spirit, bred on a similar pattern. If Shaquille's youngsters look and move like him then he'll be off to a good start in the sales ring, and that, as we know, is a first important marker which can then determine his level of support down the line. The post Value Sires for 2024 Part I: New Stallions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first foal by Grade I-winning sprinter Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) was born early Tuesday morning at Keith & Ginger Myers' Coteau Grove Farms in Louisiana. The bay is the second foal out of Multi Strategy (Scat Daddy), a daughter of graded winner Freefourracing (French Deputy). The Coolmore stallion will stand the 2024 season at $25,000. “This is a strong colt with great bone and muscle”, said Coteau Grove Broodmare Manager Jacob Cyprian. “He has a beautiful head with quality. We sold his half-brother for good money so hopefully this colt will do the same.” Out of Grade III-winning Lady Shipman (Midshipman), Golden Pal won seven graded stakes from 5-5 1/2 furlongs, including the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint followed by the GI Turf Sprint in 2021. He also annexed consecutive editions of the GII Woodford S. at Keeneland, in addition to the 2022 GII Shakertown S. The post First Foal for GISW Golden Pal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Strong handle during the first seven weeks of the 152nd racing season has prompted a 10% purse increase across the board, in addition to $25,000 added to the purses of 10 stakes, announced Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Tuesday. “We're extremely excited to announce a 10% increase to our daily purse structure along with the $25,000 boost to 10 stakes,” Fair Grounds' racing secretary Scott Jones said. “Based on the strong early handle returns and continued support from our owners, horsemen, and horseplayers, we are in a position to raise purses.” The 10% across the board purse increase will go in effect with Condition Book 4, which begins with the Thursday, Jan. 25 card (drawn Thursday, Jan. 18). The purse increase includes both open races and Louisiana-bred races. Maiden special weight races will rise to $57,000. The seven remaining stakes–listed at $75,000–have been increased to $100,000: Louisiana Broodmare of the Year, Louisiana Stallion of the Year, Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe Memorial, Black Gold, Edward J. Johnston Memorial, Red Camelia and Page Cortez. Additionally, three stakes slated for Louisiana Derby Day (Mar. 23) have been boosted by $25,000. The Tom Benson Memorial, a 1 1/16 miles turf route for older fillies and mares will now be run for $150,000 purse, and both the Crescent City Derby and Oaks will now be run for $125,000. The post Fair Grounds Offers Across the Board Purse Increase appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

James Culver has what may be viewed as a second horse of a lifetime in Hoist the Gold who is being pointed toward the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.View the full article

A total of 149 lots, including dispersals from Irish point-to-point trainer Ellmarie Holden and from Whitewall Stables, were catalogued for the Goffs January Sale at Doncaster on Jan. 23. Featuring 81 NH weanlings, 20 NH mares and 48 horses-in-training, yearlings and 2-year-olds, the sale will begin at 10 a.m. Some of the lots on offer are lot 84, a Nathaniel (Ire) half-brother to Grade 1 winner Athena Du Berlais (Fr) (Martaline {GB}); a son of that Newsells Park Stud-based sire and the Grade 1 winner Black Tears (GB) (Jeremy) (lot 92); debut pointer winner Frisby (Ire) (Flemensfirth) (lot 34) from Holden's draft; and lot 158, the two-time winner Lime Avenue (Ire) (Walk In The Park {Ire}), who is a half-sister to G1 Irish Grand National winner Rogue Angel (Ire) (Presenting {GB}). Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said, “It was with great satisfaction that we launched the inaugural British NH Breeders Showcase for NH foals in November last year and it was always our goal to ensure we kept a high standard of entries at this sale's long serving NH weanling session–thus providing two vibrant outlets for the category. “So, to see us catalogue 81 NH weanlings, which feature some outstanding pedigrees and sires, is a great result for the sale and we once again applaud breeders for sending their best to Doncaster. The sale will also host the TBA's NH Stallion Showcase, which will see 12 UK NH sires on show at Doncaster during the sale, providing an extra reason that the January Sale is one not to be missed.” The post Doncaster January Sale To Feature Ellmarie Holden Dispersal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article